The Russian government has spoken out against foreign allies providing Ukraine with light tanks in new military aid packages, warning that they will "only prolong the suffering" of the war.
The Ukrainian military is set to receive an influx of new light armored personnel vehicles from its allies. The vehicles have been likened to tanks, but, as the Associated Press explained, they are lighter and more agile than traditional tanks, and come equipped with a variety of mounted weaponry.
The U.S. will provide 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, known for their ability to destroy enemy tanks, while Germany will provide 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which boast similar capabilities.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that the new aid packages would do more harm than good in the long run, the independent Kyiv Post reported.
"Fundamentally, these deliveries cannot and will not change anything...[they] can only prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people," Peskov said.
According to the post, Ukraine's Western allies had been hesitant and cautious about the kinds of hardware they provided. After France became the first nation to provide tank-style armored vehicles, others like the U.S. and Germany followed suit.
While the Kremlin has dismissed the impact that the vehicles will have on the war, other experts believe that they will be powerful tools for Ukraine. Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AP that Bradley Fighting Vehicles operating alongside tanks could be effective in combination with certain long-range strikes. Should an artillery barrage create an opening in enemy strongholds, the new Bradley Fighting Vehicles could quickly move in with troops on board to exploit them.
"It creates a dilemma for adversaries," Bowman said. "It's a powerful combination."
When pressed about why the U.S. has not provided heavier traditional tanks to Ukraine, Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Ukraine, said that Ukraine's military forces have become proficient enough in maintenance work to sustain light vehicles. Heavier ones, like the M1 Abrams, still require too much work for them, she said.
"We absolutely agree that Ukraine does need tanks," Cooper said. "But we have to be cognizant of maintenance and sustainment considerations with tanks. And certainly we know that the Abrams tank, in addition to being a gas guzzler, is quite challenging to maintain."
When reached by Newsweek for comment, the Department of Defense provided a further comment from Cooper from a Friday press conference about why the U.S. is supplying Ukraine with Bradleys at this stage.
"In the case of the Bradley, what you are seeing is a recognition that this is the right time for us to provide this armored capability," Cooper said. "This is the right time for Ukraine to take advantage of its capabilities to change the dynamic on the battlefield. And from a maintenance and sustainment standpoint. And this is really important.
"The Ukrainians have demonstrated a lot of growing proficiency in maintenance and sustainment, both within Ukraine and relying on new systems that we have set up with our allies and partners to provide what we call tele-maintenance in many instances. So, at this point, the Ukrainians really are set up for success once we are able to train them on the system."
Updated 01/09/2023, 5:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the Department of Defense.
Updated 01/13/2023, 1:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that Bradley Bowman was referring specifically to Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
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